before 1 of 2

1
as in to
earlier than since I'm a faster runner, I got there before him

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in against
preceding in space the children always insisted on running before their parents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

before

2 of 2

adverb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of before
Preposition
How to prepare before strong winds approach Trim tree branches away from your house and power lines. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2025 Marwan Barghouti is led by Israeli police in 2003 after appearing before a Tel Aviv court. Yamiche Alcindor, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
In August, Google AI reported that the energy consumed for each prompt on its Gemini AI platform was 33 times smaller than one year before. Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025 The speaker is twice as large and nearly four times louder than before, while the microphone has been repositioned for clearer communication. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for before
Recent Examples of Synonyms for before
Preposition
  • The flip side to Marner’s exit is that the Leafs have cap flexibility and intend to take a swing with it.
    Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • That later became the foundational precedent for centuries of papal claims to secular authority over the papal states of the Romagna.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
Preposition
  • Richardson sustained the injury and was hospitalized after a stretching band snapped, sending an attached pole forcibly against his face.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
  • It’s long been stated that his departure was the result of a disagreement with van Doesburg over the use of diagonal lines in De Stijl artworks, which van Doesburg supported and Mondrian was against.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • At only 24 years old, there appears to be a lot more highlights ahead for the star wide receiver.
    Jon Machota, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • As OpenAI races ahead, Hollywood is scrambling to get in front of the situation.
    Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Scientists had already found it in soil and water around the country.
    Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The company’s stock price is already down more than 30% this year, which analysts attribute to a mix of tariffs, competition and shifting shopping habits.
    Kayla Steinberg, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
Preposition
  • Local governments around the country have been trying to get companies that used and made forever chemicals such as PFNA to foot the bill for the expensive job of cleaning up contamination.
    Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The company’s stock price is already down more than 30% this year, which analysts attribute to a mix of tariffs, competition and shifting shopping habits.
    Kayla Steinberg, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • While new weapons were what Western observers were eager to get a look at, the parade also featured North Korean troops who fought against Ukraine, helping to expel Kyiv’s forces from the Kursk region of Russia earlier this year.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Parlays made up 56% of sports betting revenue in Illinois, New Jersey, and Colorado in 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Before.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/before. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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